Newspaper Prayers: Thursday, July 20th

LOS ANGELES — She spends her days preparing legal strategies to help undocumented immigrants stay in the country. But at any moment, Lizbeth Mateo could be picked up for deportation herself. She is an immigration lawyer with her own immigration lawyer.

Last month, Ms. Mateo was officially sworn in as a lawyer, taking an oath to uphold the United States Constitution. After years of flaunting her status as undocumented and openly defying immigration law, she is now part of the legal system and hopes to represent clients who, like her, entered the United States illegally.

Allowing undocumented immigrants to work as lawyers is a sign of just how far the acceptance of such immigrants has come in places like California. When Kevin de León, the leader of the California State Senate, presided over Ms. Mateo’s swearing-in ceremony, he called her the embodiment of the American dream.

But Ms. Mateo is setting out to practice law in a new era: President Trump, whose vows to seal off the border with a wall energized supporters, has made clear that all undocumented immigrants could be deported. Some immigrants have responded by going into hiding while others prepare to return home.

Ms. Mateo is among those confronting the administration even though doing so carries with it personal risk. She is regarded as a bold advocate by some and as a foolhardy provocateur by others because she left the country and returned illegally, daring immigration agents to detain her.

Readings from the Sermon on the Mount for Thursday, July 20, 2017

Matthew 5.7 – “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.”

Our understanding of the word, “mercy,” can be expanded by looking at some synonyms for it: accepting, charitable, compassionate, forgiving, gentle, kind, patient, tenderhearted, and loving.

Today, pray for these qualities in yourself and pray for them to expand throughout the world.